I’ve lived long enough to remember when ‘Christian Counseling’ was considered by most of the church world to be an oxymoron. If it was professional counseling, then it was secular and anything secular was best avoided by a Christian. If a Christian needed ‘help’, everything he/she needed could be found via the Scriptures alone.

Mart De Haan wrote a great article “The Sufficiency Debate” (Radio Bible Class, Dec. 1997) about the Bible, medicine and counseling working together instead of working against or replacing one another. In that article he says, “We must also realize that the Scriptures were not given to replace human relationships, medicine, wise counsel, or even general revelation. When understood, the Scriptures give us a perspective on all of life. And when understood in the light of the Bible, all of life can be used to direct lost and hurting people back to the God of the Scriptures.”

That statement fits Temperament Therapy. Temperament Therapy is Bible based, Christ centered, Christian counseling. Temperament is our inborn, God-given ‘nature’. Temperament is not behavior. Behavior results from a combination of things:  Temperament + Environment + Decisions we have made + Decisions we should have made + Things we have learned + Experiences we’ve had = Behavior.

Temperament is given us at conception and remains constant throughout our life. When our temperament needs are not being met, or being met in ungodly ways, it will cause stress and anxiety. Other possible symptoms include:  depression, dissatisfaction, loneliness, fear, frustration, anger, marriage and family problems, poor work performance, exhaustion and inter/intra personal conflicts. When we are living in the strengths of our temperament and getting our temperament needs met in godly and socially acceptable ways, then stress and anxiety are reduced and we live happier, more satisfied lives; the way God intended us to live.

For the purpose of Temperament Theory and Therapy, temperament is divided into three areas. INCLUSION - Social Orientation and Intellectual Abilities. CONTROL - Control we want over others and Control we want others to have over us. AFFECTION - Deep Personal Relationships. Each temperament area is termed with one of the five temperament types or a combination of types. Each temperament type can also be compulsive, except phlegmatic. The five temperament types are: Melancholy, Choleric, Phlegmatic, Supine and Sanguine.

The Supine temperament is new to the list. The other four have been known about for 2400 years. However, as the National Christian Counselors Association was doing its 7 years of research with about 5,000 people, the evidence of the fifth temperament was found. It has been know that some people did not ‘fit’ into any of the four temperaments, but until the N.C.C.A.’s research, there wasn’t enough evidence for a fifth temperament.

The definitions of each temperament type differ depending upon which temperament area they are found in. In the Temperament Analysis Profile (T.A.P.) Report, pages 3-5 describe what is meant by the temperament type in each temperament area. Pages 6 and 7 (some TAP’s have 8) describe what the temperament needs are for each area according to the temperament type. In this way you know with what temperament God created you and what your temperament needs are. Temperament Therapy is determining which temperament needs are already being met and how they are being met, which temperament needs are not being met and how to get them met in godly and socially acceptable ways.

God made us. God should be able to ‘fix’ us - and He can. One of the many tools He has provided is Temperament Therapy. Let me quote from Dr. Richard G. Arno, president of the National Christian Counselor Association: “While preaching the 'Sermon on the Mount,' Jesus taught something new; something never taught by anyone. The “Golden Rule” was totally new to man, the utopia of social ethics. Even today, no religion has a “golden rule” quite like Christianity. The whole approach to human relationships taught by Jesus was different, it called for positive action rather than negative passivism. Our “Golden Rule” requires us to “do unto others” (good) while the “golden rule” held by other religions requires them to “refrain from doing” (evil). The approach of Jesus was never heard of before, because it called for positive action.

“We need to be open to new concepts, new methods and new approaches for helping mankind. New therapeutic methods of counseling are continually being developed by the Christian and secular communities; at least, they claim to be new. However, the basic approach always seems to be the same. Different methods to deal with man’s problems, but never really targeting the core problem — the man himself.

“Temperament Therapy is a new therapeutic approach to counseling which deals with the inner man rather than “outer manifestations” or the “problems at hand.” The training is ecumenical (nondenominational) and has been applauded by professional Christian counselors and clergy of all denominations.

“Temperament is an age old theory, however, understanding and applying it as a proven and professional method of counseling is a new and exciting concept.”

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